Review of The Scrimshaw Amulet
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Hazel Arnaiz
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Review of The Scrimshaw Amulet
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Scrimshaw Amulet" by Graydon Earl Owens.]
Blake is definitely in love with Elena. Marriage, however, contradicts his current goals. His foremost objective is to advance to partner at the New York law firm where he works. When his boss assigns him a redevelopment project in the harbor area, Blake boards the train to Gloucester instead of attending the Broadway musical debut of Elena, as he promised. Elena is enraged and refuses to answer his calls. The property owner, Delmer, was giving Blake a hard time. Instead of agreeing to sell the land, Delmer gave Blake a journal. It belonged to Blake's grandmother. Receiving the diary was strange because he had never met her. His maternal ancestors were from Salem. There were reports of ghostly apparitions from a sunken fishing boat in the area. The community accused Blake's family of witchcraft. He experienced a miserable childhood with this reputation, resulting in his uninterest in anything supernatural. He ignored the diary, but his boss urged him to scrutinize it for clues to help him complete a deal with Delmer. What Blake learns about his grandmother, the phantom ship, and Delmer's land will define his perceptions of the present.
Graydon Earl Owens weaves two love stories from separate periods in The Scrimshaw Amulet. The combination of mystery, romance, and the supernatural provides a backdrop for exploring perceptions of love and relationships, faith and spirituality, and modernization and heritage. The two stories unfold in third-person narration with a nonlinear chronology. The shift in timelines is simple to understand. The past is told through a journal entry and begins in a new chapter. Flashbacks contribute to the mystery and tension by allowing the main character to piece together the events. The vivid descriptions of the individuals and places help to compose mental images that engage the senses. The representations of the characters draw comparisons to two societies separated by a generation.
The story examines diverse topics but intertwines to form a united plot. Sailing, witchcraft, strong-independent women, males as providers, some political history, and real estate law are a few examples. They leave the audience with something to ponder. But, among these topics, the exploration of gentrification was my favorite. It takes into account a variety of issues. These are the need for redevelopment, the preservation of culture and heritage, the social fabric of the community, as well as relevant legislation. The mystical and mysterious elements emphasized the significance of beliefs and traditions in shaping a community's identity and sense of place. Likewise, I appreciate the insight on scrimshaw. These objects fashioned from whale byproducts are the creations of whaling sailors in the past. As someone who believes in marine life protection, I have some reservations about this matter. Fortunately, the novel was unbiased regarding this practice or type of art. It presented them to illustrate sailor beliefs, culture, and tradition.
The plot twist was unexpected. It offers a new spin on star-crossed lovers. The loose ends were tied, resulting in a satisfactory conclusion. Some words were not commonplace in the current language but were appropriate for the period. It was not distracting. It provided an excellent opportunity to broaden one's vocabulary. In keeping with this, a glossary of sailing terminology is a beneficial supplement for unfamiliar individuals. There are curse words. An extremely modest kissing moment was virtually undetectable, but the topics are more appropriate for an audience of sixteen and up. Despite its references to faith and spirituality, religious organizations will find it inoffensive. Readers who appreciate a blend of romance, history, mystery, and the supernatural will enjoy this book. Sailing enthusiasts will relate to the superstition and tradition of sailors.
The book was enjoyable to read. The editing remains the sole reason preventing me from assigning it an excellent score. The spelling and typographical errors in the ship names were distracting. Another round of editing and proofreading will benefit this work. Except for the editing, I have no issues with the book. With that, I am deducting a star and rating it four out of five.
******
The Scrimshaw Amulet
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Blake is definitely in love with Elena. Marriage, however, contradicts his current goals. His foremost objective is to advance to partner at the New York law firm where he works. When his boss assigns him a redevelopment project in the harbor area, Blake boards the train to Gloucester instead of attending the Broadway musical debut of Elena, as he promised. Elena is enraged and refuses to answer his calls. The property owner, Delmer, was giving Blake a hard time. Instead of agreeing to sell the land, Delmer gave Blake a journal. It belonged to Blake's grandmother. Receiving the diary was strange because he had never met her. His maternal ancestors were from Salem. There were reports of ghostly apparitions from a sunken fishing boat in the area. The community accused Blake's family of witchcraft. He experienced a miserable childhood with this reputation, resulting in his uninterest in anything supernatural. He ignored the diary, but his boss urged him to scrutinize it for clues to help him complete a deal with Delmer. What Blake learns about his grandmother, the phantom ship, and Delmer's land will define his perceptions of the present.
Graydon Earl Owens weaves two love stories from separate periods in The Scrimshaw Amulet. The combination of mystery, romance, and the supernatural provides a backdrop for exploring perceptions of love and relationships, faith and spirituality, and modernization and heritage. The two stories unfold in third-person narration with a nonlinear chronology. The shift in timelines is simple to understand. The past is told through a journal entry and begins in a new chapter. Flashbacks contribute to the mystery and tension by allowing the main character to piece together the events. The vivid descriptions of the individuals and places help to compose mental images that engage the senses. The representations of the characters draw comparisons to two societies separated by a generation.
The story examines diverse topics but intertwines to form a united plot. Sailing, witchcraft, strong-independent women, males as providers, some political history, and real estate law are a few examples. They leave the audience with something to ponder. But, among these topics, the exploration of gentrification was my favorite. It takes into account a variety of issues. These are the need for redevelopment, the preservation of culture and heritage, the social fabric of the community, as well as relevant legislation. The mystical and mysterious elements emphasized the significance of beliefs and traditions in shaping a community's identity and sense of place. Likewise, I appreciate the insight on scrimshaw. These objects fashioned from whale byproducts are the creations of whaling sailors in the past. As someone who believes in marine life protection, I have some reservations about this matter. Fortunately, the novel was unbiased regarding this practice or type of art. It presented them to illustrate sailor beliefs, culture, and tradition.
The plot twist was unexpected. It offers a new spin on star-crossed lovers. The loose ends were tied, resulting in a satisfactory conclusion. Some words were not commonplace in the current language but were appropriate for the period. It was not distracting. It provided an excellent opportunity to broaden one's vocabulary. In keeping with this, a glossary of sailing terminology is a beneficial supplement for unfamiliar individuals. There are curse words. An extremely modest kissing moment was virtually undetectable, but the topics are more appropriate for an audience of sixteen and up. Despite its references to faith and spirituality, religious organizations will find it inoffensive. Readers who appreciate a blend of romance, history, mystery, and the supernatural will enjoy this book. Sailing enthusiasts will relate to the superstition and tradition of sailors.
The book was enjoyable to read. The editing remains the sole reason preventing me from assigning it an excellent score. The spelling and typographical errors in the ship names were distracting. Another round of editing and proofreading will benefit this work. Except for the editing, I have no issues with the book. With that, I am deducting a star and rating it four out of five.
******
The Scrimshaw Amulet
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: A Dream For Peace by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah
